"If Todd wins, he can thank God, his wife and Karl, in that order"

In the eye of the storm is former Bush advisor Karl Rove who has publicly dissed Akin and had to apologize for joking about murdering the conservative.

“It is remarkable that Rove and the establishment cannot get their heads back in the game. They are fixated on Akin in an irrational way,” said a conservative leader and advisor to the Romney campaign.

“If Todd wins, he can thank God, his wife and Karl, in that order,” said another conservative leader. There had been rumors Akin would bow out of the race during this week’s Democratic Convention, but the Rove attacks and resulting conservative rally have buoyed Akin, who just recruited longtime New Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler to his campaign.